Of Wrong Turns and Raspberries
by PipOfTheBT
Summary: Written for a challenge for The Burping Troll group, in which we were assigned to write something about hunting something, in this story's case, a way back home. The characters used are original characters created for The Burping Troll, the most remarkab


Of Wrong Turns and Raspberries

By Pippin

Disclaimer: Any similarities to Real Life events are purely coincidental.

Really!

Well.

Okay, maybe not.

"I suggested we take the left fork, but no." The elf gave a dramatic sigh. "No, you insisted we take the right. Now look where we are; we're practically lost."

Ahead of the elf, Erin the hobbit sniffed primly, though she did not turn around to face Pippin.

"Well, perhaps if you had insisted we go left instead of amiably going along with my suggestion, we wouldn't be in this mess, mistress elf." To herself, the hobbit fretted, "I was so sure I'd left it right near here! Oh, of all the times to leave behind a basket of raspberries! Meri will surely start to worry that something's gone wrong if we don't return before tea-time."

"I'm sure she would," Pippin replied. The trees were growing thicker now as the elf and hobbit walked deeper into areas of the surrounding forest that were less frequented.

"I was so sure we'd left it underneath that one large bush where the bees had been – you remember the one." Placing both hands on her hips, Erin furrowed her brow. "Yes, we took the trail leading towards the meadow, I remember that, and then we turned off towards the wild raspberry bushes away to – oh, what direction was it?" The hobbit turned a slow circle while looking at the surrounding trees.

"I suggest," Pippin ventured, after Erin had turned another full circle while trying to remember which direction they had taken to get to their original destination, "that we follow the trail we took to get here, and leave the raspberries for some rabbits. I'm sure they'd be delighted with them, and it would save us the trouble of explaining when we're asked at the Troll why we caused everyone to worry enough to send Wargy out in search of us – as you know quite well they'll do if we do not return soon. We do have three other baskets between us…" Pippin looked down to each basket she held and to the one Erin carried already.

"Oh, but I brought that basket with me from the Shire!" Erin exclaimed, her face revealing how horrified she was at the mere thought of leaving it lost in the woods. "It would be ruined! No, we simply must hunt for it until we find it, and if Wargy appears, then she can help look for it too."

Ss-nap.

A brittle sound met Pippin's ears, and the realization dawned on her that there was no birdsong in the twiggy branches of the trees.

"Erin," she ventured, but the hobbit was already far ahead of her on the narrow trail they had forged through the underbrush. Around the corner the small figure scurried, and Pippin felt her heart jump to her throat, though she could not put a name to the fear.

"Erin?" she called, rounding the bend to see yet another curve in the way they had come, but no visible sign of her small friend. "Er-", she began before a brown form hurtled its way around the corner at top-speed, all shaggy coat and sharp teeth and coppery eyes. Before she could leap out of the way, Pippin found herself pinned by a very large Warg, whose tongue lolled happily, dripping onto the elf's face.

"Heya! Found ya at last. Been hunting for you since luncheon when Meri got worried when you two didn't show up." Behind the warg, Pippin could see Erin turning the bend, now holding two baskets of raspberries.

"And you found the basket, also?"

"Oh, yeah. Found that an hour ago. It was you two who were harder to find!"

"Ah. Well," Pippin said, clearing her throat and wheezing slightly.

Wargy gave a sharp-toothed grin. "What?"

"Would you mind letting me breathe? I believe Meri wanted us back alive."

"Naw, she just said to hunt you both down. Didn't say anything about what to do with you after I found ya." Two copper eyes flashed and danced.

"Wargy, do you like raspberries?" Erin asked, reaching into her basket and withdrawing an enticing handful of the juicy berries. Warg gave a low rumble in her throat that was either disdain or a chortle, or possibly a combination of the two.

"I like elf better." She grinned down at Pippin again, who rolled her eyes.

"Very well. You win. How does an extra bowl of leftovers sound? I'll even make sure there are extra good bits saved just for you." The elf who helped in the kitchen a good deal of the time tried to give one of her winning smiles.

"It'll do. But," Wargy let Pippin stand as she continued, "if you want to know how to get back to the Troll, it'll be two bowls."

Erin and Pippin exchanged looks. With one voice, they chimed, "Two bowls it is."


End file.
